How I Choose Where To Travel Next
I’ve written about this on my blog. First, I try to get to whichever destinations are on my travel bucket list (which is always growing). I also look at where I may have work or personal events (like a destination wedding). I’m big on “bleisure” (business + leisure) travel, so I do often add on a personal trip with work travel.
Generally speaking, I usually travel at least once a month, either for business or work (or both). My solo trips range anywhere from 3-4 days to two weeks, depending on where I'm going.
How I Overcome Boredom And Loneliness While Solo Traveling
I make a point to go to places where there are many things I can do, and if I’m ever feeling tired and just want to stay inside and read or watch TV, I do that too (the benefit of traveling by yourself - doing what I want!). As far as getting lonely, that also doesn’t happen too often but when it does, I might reach out to a family member or friend to chat. Something else I do in places where I know there’s a chance I might get lonely is sign up for tours or events, including ones in the evening. One example is when I signed up for a pop-up style dinner in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and it ended up being SO much fun! I met some very cool people, helped to sing happy birthday to a young woman visiting Argentina with her family, and made some new connections from all over the world.
My Biggest Travel-Related Challenges
Work is the obvious thing preventing me from traveling more. I can’t travel all the time because I need to work (and I have bills to pay!). Also, I don’t have endless funds, so I have to balance my desire to travel with the opportunity and cost of travel. Fortunately, I’ve been able to both travel AND save money consistently over the years.
One of the biggest challenges to traveling solo as a black woman is that I’m never entirely sure what my experience will be like in a country. Will I encounter racism or sexism? Will I be safe? I definitely take precautions, and there are some things I just simply won’t do and some places I simply won’t go, but for the most part, I try to be smart and trust my gut whenever I’m traveling solo.
Advice To New Solo Travelers
Start small! My first “solo” trip was to London, where I first stayed with friends and then stayed an extra three days by myself after they left. It was a good way to dip my toe into solo travel. Since that first time, I’ve traveled to numerous countries in Asia, Europe, South America and North America by myself.
